The Stresemann era: cultural achievements of the Weimar period Flashcards
What was the Golden Age in the Weimar Republic?
Weimar Germany in the 1920s experienced a ‘cultural explosion’. The Weimar government gave grants to artists and cultural organisations like theatres and libraries. The government supported, rather than censored, new approaches to the arts. New technologies such as radio and film provided German artists with new mediums to explore. The experimental nature of Weimar culture upset many right-wing and extremist groups. The arts of the Weimar Republic clashed with these groups’ traditional values.
What was Weimar art like?
Expressionism in Weimar Germany used grotesque or exaggerated figures in violent scenes
This aimed to make the audience uncomfortable. In doing so, the artist hoped people would begin to question the society in which they lived
Otto Dix was a famous New Objectivist artist in Weimar Germany. One of his paintings highlighted the issues war veterans had once they returned to Germany
George Grosz painted ‘Grey Day’, which used expressionism to represent the boredom of day-to-day life
Weimar art horrified the conservative upper classes and the extreme right-wing
Traditionally, the more educated upper classes controlled and produced Germany’s cultural output. In the Weimar Republic, the upper classes no longer held this power
The meanings of the artworks were unclear. The pictures had many interpretations
These pieces could have undermined the authority of the upper classes
Many artists had strong left-wing beliefs. This challenged the traditional ways of life valued by the right
What was Weimar architecture like?
In 1919, a new form of design called ‘Bauhaus’ emerged
Walter Gropius founded the movement in Weimar Germany in 1919. He aimed to create a unified style that connected all types of art forms
The Bauhaus design school existed in three German cities between 1919 and 1933, Weimar, Berlin and Dessau
Lecturers at Bauhaus College included the artist Paul Klee and the sculptor Oskar Schlemmer
‘Bauhaus’ architecture uses geometric shapes to create practical buildings. The movement saw the beauty of technology and the use of familiar materials in different ways. For example, they constructed entire buildings using only concrete
The ‘Bauhaus’ movement inspired Weimar architects such as Erich Mendelsohn
He designed the Einstein Tower, an observatory in Potsdam, to look like a rocket
What was Weimar cinema like?
he popularity of cinema exploded in the 1920s
By 1929, there were roughly 500 cinemas across Germany
Germany began to compete with American film production
The expressionist film The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920) was one of the first horror films. The director, Robert Wiene, created the first ‘plot twist’ ending in cinema history
F. W. Murnau directed the film Nosferatu (1922)
It was the world’s first vampire film
Many films today use the tension methods Murnau created while filming Nosferatu
The Weimar government funded Metropolis (1926) through an organisation called UFA
It cost 5 million Reichsmarks
Fritz Lang created a modernist science-fiction film that centred on the impact of technology on 20th-century life
It was unsuccessful at the time but has influenced many modern-day films such as Star Wars
Germany produced its first talking film, or ‘talkie’ in 1930
The capability to play films with sound was available in 3,800 German cinemas by 1932
What was Weimar nightlife like?
Weimar Germany had a thriving nightlife. Common activities in cities like Berlin included
Watching cabaret
Going to the theatre
Dancing in nightclubs
These activities encouraged liberal behaviour
Women and men drank, smoked and had sex
Young Germans were very open about their sexuality
Gay communities formed in big cities
What were the changes to living standards?
To improve standards of living, the Weimar government:
Passed the Unemployment Insurance Act in 1927
This money funded insurance that covered unemployment and sickness
16.4 million workers had 3% of their wages diverted to the government
If an insured German did not have a job or was unable to work due to poor health, the scheme paid them 60 Reichsmarks per week
Created better working conditions
They lowered the hours in a working week from 50 in 1925 to 46 in 1927
Workers’ ‘real’ wages rose 25% from 1925 to 1928. This measurement considers the cost of living and inflation to calculate the actual value of a worker’s wages
Focused on housing
The Länder utilised foreign loans to fund building projects
The government introduced a rent tax of 15% to create building associations
Private companies created 37,000 new homes from 1925 to 1929. In the same period, building associations constructed 64,000 homes
Passed the Reich Pension Law
Over 1.3 million people (widows and ex-soldiers) received a war-related pension
Weimar Germany spent roughly 40% of its GDP on this scheme
What were the changes to women rights?
The Weimar Republic focused on improving the life of women
The Weimar Constitution placed women’s right to vote into law
All women over the age of 21 could vote in elections. This was the same access to voting that German men had
Article 109 stated that marriage was an equal legal partnership between men and women
German women were active in politics
Elections usually had a 90% turnout of women voters
In 1920, there were 111 women elected as party representatives in the Reichstag
The Weimar government had good intentions to improve women’s employment
The right to vote and increased working opportunities allowed women the freedom to express themselves
These ‘New Women’ could:
Buy more revealing clothes
Cut their hair short
Wear more makeup
Smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol
Be focused more on their careers than on becoming wives and mothers
Companies used the image of the ‘New Woman’ to sell their products
This was a tactic used by cosmetic companies
What was the progress in women’s employment?
By 1918, the percentage of women with employment was 75%
Article 109 in the Weimar Constitution gave women the right to access all professions on an equal standing to men
The retail sector employed lots of women on a part-time basis
There was an increase in women employed as teachers and doctors
What were the regression in women’s employment?
By 1925, the employment rate of women had fallen to 36%. This was roughly the same as before the First World War
Many employers ignored Article 109 and chose male candidates over women
Women in employment were paid 33% less than men doing the equivalent job
As soon as a woman became married, society expected her to leave her job to focus on the household and become a mother
Women struggled to reach high-respected professions. For example, Germany only had 36 female judges in 1933
What were some criticisms of the ‘Golden Age’?
Extremists used people’s hatred of the ‘New Woman’ to increase support for their ideals
Hitler blamed the ‘New Woman’ for increasing unemployment rates among the working class
He campaigned against the ‘New Woman’ and encouraged a return to women’s traditional role in the household
Trade unions had a negative reaction to the presence of women in the workplace
Men dominated the trade unions
They believed that equality for women in the workplace would negatively affect male workers
They resented ‘double earners’. This term referred to households where the husband and wife both worked
Many extremist parties opposed Weimar culture
Extreme left-wing parties like the KPD saw the government’s funding of culture as a waste of money. They believed it took resources away from the people who needed financial help, for example, the workers
Extreme right-wing parties like the NSDAP believed that Weimar culture was destroying German traditions. They argued that Weimar culture was responsible for the moral decline of German society
The Wandervögel movement protested against the progression of Weimar society
They wanted a return to traditional values
